Clutch disk



0d 27, 1936 c. H. Daum-z 2,058,575

CLUTCH DISK Filed Jan. 15, 1952 '7 ii 6 INVENToR. /5 I8 iur;

A TTORNEYS.

5' CHAR E3 HDRUDE 55.3. BY /W estema Aoa. 27, 1936 'I i 2,058,575

VUNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 2,058,575 CLUTCH msx Charles H. Drude, Ferndale, Mich., asslgnor to Chrysler Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application January 1s, 1932, serial No. 586,828 v1s claims. (ol. 19a-ss) This invention relates to improved clutch disks. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of a Heretofore clutch disks. particularly of the type vehicle clutch which is equipped with my imused in motor vehicles, have included relatively proved clutch disk.

rotatable inner and outer portions, the inner por- Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 5 tion being non-rotatably securable to a shaft and 3-3 of Fig. 1. 5 the outer portion having friction lining thereon Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line for engagement with a driving member. These 4 4 of Fig. 1. parts of the disk have been yieldably held against In the form shown, my improved clutch disk relative rotation by springs or other resilient has an inner hub portion which includes a splined means so as to absorb the shock exerted on the collar I having a radially extending ilange 2 on l0 clutch disk during engagement of the clutch. the respectively opposite sides of which are xed Resilient means of this character are required spaced disk-shaped plates 3. The inner periphto oppose relative rotation of the parts of a clutch ery of the collar I is provided with splines 4 for disk with substantial rigidity when a vehicle is non-rotatably xing the disk on a driven shaft 4.

16 being driven by its engine, as for example, during Journaled on the periphery 5 of the ange 2 is 15 acceleration. When a vehicle is decelerating an outer part of the clutch disk which rotates with the clutch engaged, only the force required relative to the inner part thereof and which into drive the engine is transmitted through the cludes a pair of adjacent disk-shaped plates 6 clutch disk, and therefore much less rigidity is having their inner portions disposed between the 20 required of the resilient means which oppose plates 3 of the hub portion. In the illustration 20 relative rotation of the inner and outer parts of shown in Fig. 3, the space between the plates 3 is the clutch disk. somewhat Wider than the combined thicknesses The main objects of the invention are to proof the plates 6, and in order to fill in the excess vide an improved clutch disk of the type which space, a disk shaped plate 'l' is secured by rivets has inner and outer parts that are yieldably held or other suitable means to one of the plates 6. 25

against relative rotation by resilient means which This filler plate may or may not be used, dependoffer suilicient opposition to relative rotation of ing on the space between the plates 3 and the the parts during acceleration of a vehicle and thickness of the plates 6. Relative rotation of which oppose relative rotation of the parts with the inner and outer parts of the clutch disk is much less rigidity when the engine is driven by positively limited by pins 5 which have end por- 30 the momentum of the vehicle during deceleration tions fixed in apertures in the plates 3 and which thereof; to provide means of this kind which proextend through elongated slots 6 in the plates 6. duces the softness required in opposing relative Clutch lining rings I are fixed to the nonrotation of the disk parts during deceleration so adiacent sides of the plates 6 in any suitable as to eliminate transmission rattle; to provide manner. These clutchlining rings are disposed 35 resilient members for this purpose which are subbetween a side face 8 of a ilywheel 9 and a side stantially identical in their dimensions and charface I0 of a pressure ring II which is normally acteristics; to provide an assembly of substanurged toward the flywheel 9 by coil springs I2 tially identical resilient members in which all of that bear between the pressure ring and a housthe members are operative during rotation of the ing I3 that is carried by the ywheel. The 40 outer part of the clutch disk in one direction relasprings I2 normally hold the pressure ring I I and tive to the inner structure thereof and in which flywheel 9 in frictional engagement with the some of the resilient members are inoperative clutch lining rings 1, thereby forming a driving during rotation of the outer part in the opposite connection between the ilywheel and the clutch 45 direction relative to the inner structure; and'to disk, which in turn drives the shaft 4'. The 45 provide a clutch disk in the clutch mechanism of clutch is provided with releasing apparatus that a vehicle which has relatively rotatable inner and includes DivOtally mOlmted fingers .4 which when outer parts that rotate relative to each other rotated in aclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. more freely during deceleration than during ac- 2. move the pressure ring II to the right against celeration ofthe vehicle. the action of the springs I2 to disengagethe 50 An illustrative embodiment of the invention is clutch. 1 shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: A The inner and outer parts of the clutch disk Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved clutch are yieldably held against relative rotation by a disk showing portions thereof removed to disclose plurality of resilient members, such as coil the underlying structure. v springs, which are seated in registering slots 55 iormed'in the overlapped portions oi' the plates I and 6 of the inner and outer parts. The registering slots il and i5 in the plates i and l; respectively, are all equal in length and their opposite ends constitute opposed faces il and i1 against which the extremities of coil springs Il bear. The slots I4 and I5 of every other pair of registering slots in the circumferentially arranged series, shown in Fig. 1, are of equal length and therefore the springs Il in these slots oppose relative rotation of the outer member in both directions with respect to the inner member.4 The pairs of registering slots il and 20 in the plates 3 and i, respectively, located between the pairs of registering slots il and It, are of unequal length, the slots 20 in the plates 8 being longer than the slots II in the plates I. The corresponding ends 2| and 22 of the slots I9 and 2l, respectively, and the opposite end of the slot I9 provide opposed faces against which the extremities of coil springs 23 bear. 'I'he right extremity of the coil springs 2l, shown in Fig. 4, bears against the corresponding ends 2i and 22 of the slots I9 and 20, and the left extremity of these springs bears only against the opposite extremities of the slots i9. With this construction,

rotation of the outer part of the clutch disk in a counter-clockwise direction relative to the inner part of the disk is yieldably opposed by all of the springs I8 and 23, and clockwise rotation of the outer part of the disk is opposed only by the coil springs il. The clearance between the left end of the openings 20 in the plates 6 and the left extremity of the springs 23 renders these springs ineffective in opposing clockwise rotation of the outer part of the disk with respect to the inner portion thereof.

The opposing forces oi' all eight springs, shown in Fig. 1, are applied in resisting rotation of the outer portion of the clutch disk with respect to the inner portion thereof during driving of the shaft l.' or driven member by the flywheel 9 or driving member when the vehicle is propelled by its engine, and only four of the springs oppose relative rotation of the outer part of the clutch disk when the flywheel is being driven by the momentum of the vehicle during deceleration. The opposition to relative rotation of the parts of the clutch disk oilered by four springs which are operative during deceleration of the vehicle is sufi'lciently soft or yieldable to eliminate the transmission noise, particularly known as transmission rattle, and the combined effect of all eight springs in opposing relative rotation of the inner and outer parts of the clutch disk provides suillcient rigidity for acceleration. Any desired number of coil springs may be employed and any part of the entire number used may be conditioned in the above manner to become inoperative during deceleration of the vehicle.

Although but one speciilc embodiment of the invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in the size. shape, and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is not my intention to limit its scope other than by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A clutch disk including an inner hub portion and a relatively rotatable outer portion having a friction element thereon, and a plurality of resilient elements cooperating with said inner and outer portions for opposing relative rotation of the latter, said resilient elements being so constructed and arranged that all thereof oppose rotation of said outer portion relative to said inner portion in one direction, andl less than all of said elements oppose rotation of said outer portion relative to said inner portion in an opposite direction.

2. In clutch mechanism including normal driving and driven elements. a clutch disk having an inner hub portion mounted on one of said elements and a relatively rotatable outer portion including friction means for co-operating with the other element,vand a plurality of resilient members all bearing between said inner and outer\ portions during only normal driving of said driven element by said driving element, certain oi said resilient members being ineffective during driving of said normal driving element by said normal driven element.

3. In clutch mechanism including normal rdriving and driven elements, a clutch disk having an inner hub portion mounted on said driven element and a relatively rotatable outer portion including friction means for co-operating with said driving element, a plurality of spring members bearing between the inner and' outer portions of said disk for opposing rotation of said outer portion relative to said inner portion during normal driving of said driven element by said driving element, at least one of said springs being ineffective in opposing relative rotation of said inner and outer portions during driving of said normal driving element by said normal driven element.

4. A clutch disk including an inner hub portion and a relatively rotatable outer portion, pairs of substantially equally spaced opposed faces on said inner and outer portions respectively, a resilient member disposed between said faces yieldably opposing relative rotation of said outer portion in both directions relative to said inner hub portion, pairs of unequally spaced opposed faces on said inner and outer portions respectively, and a resilient member between said unequally spaced pairs of opposed faces for augmenting the opposition to rotation of said outer portion with respect to said inner portion in only one direction.

5. A clutch disk including an inner hub part and a relatively rotatable outer part having overlapping portions provided with registering slots of substantially equal lengths and having other registering slots of unequal lengths, resilient elements in said registering slots of equal lengths bearing between the extremities thereof for yieldably opposing rotation of said outer part with respect to said inner part in both directions, and resilient elements in said registering slots oi' unequal lengths bearing between corresponding extremities of said slots at one end thereof and the other extremity of only one of said slots for resiliently opposing rotation of said outer part relative to said inner part in only one direction.

6. In a vehicle clutch mechanism including normal driving and driven elements, a clutch disk having an inner hub part and a relatively rotatable outer part including overlapping portions provided with registering slots of substantially equal lengths and having registering slots of unequal lengths, springs disposed in said registering slots of equal lengths bearing between the correspending ends thereof for yieldably opposing rotation of said outer part and normal driving element relative to said inner part and normal driven element during normal driving of said driven element and when the latter drives the normal driving element during deceleration of the vehicle, and springs disposed in said registering slots of unequal lengths bearing at one end upon the corresponding extremities of said unequal slots and at their other ends upon an extremity of only one slot for yieldably opposing rotation of said outer part and driving element relative to said inner part and driven element only during normal driving of the latter by said normal driving element.

'7. In a clutch member, an inner hub part including a pair of spaced plates having a plurality .of slots therein, an outer plate rotatable relative to said hub plates having one series of slots substantially equal in length to and registering with some of the slots of said hub plates and having slots registering with and exceeding the length of the other slots of said hub plates, springs in the registering equal length slots of said hub and outer slots for opposing rotation of said outer plate relative to said hub part in both directions, springs in the registering unequal length slots of said hub and outer plates bearing at one end upon the corresponding extremities of said unequal length slots and at the other end upon only the extremities of the slots in said inner hub plates for opposing rotation of said outer plate in only one direction relative to said hub plates, and clutch lining material on said outer plate.

8. In a clutch member, an inner hub part including a pair of spaced plates having a. plurality of slots therein, an outer plate rotatable relative to said hub plates having one series of slots substantially equal in length to and registering with some of the slots of said hub plates and having slots registering with and exceeding the length of the other slots of said hub plates, pins fixed at their ends on said4 spaced hub plates extending through elongated slots in said outer plate for positively limiting rotation of the latter with respect to said hub part, and springs in the equal length registering slots of said hub and outer plates and in said registering unequal length slots of said hub and outer plates adapted to yieldably oppose rotation of said outer plate in one direction relative to said hub part with greater force than that opposing rotation of said outer plate in the opposite direction.

9. In clutch mechanism including normal driv ing and driven elements, a clutch disk having an inner hub portion mounted on one of said elements and a relatively rotatable outer portion including means for cooperating with the other element to establish a disengageable driving connection between said elements, and a plurality of resilient members all bearing between said inner and outer portions during only normal driving of said driven element by said driving element, certain of said resilient members being ineffective during driving of said normal driving element by said normal driven element.

10. A power transmitting device including relatively rotatable normal driven and driving members, and means including abutments on said driving and driven members and resilient elements cooperating with said abutments for establishing a yieldable driving connection therebetween, said means being so constructed and arranged that some of said resilient elements are operative in driving either one of said members by the other and other resilient elements are operative only during driving of said normal driven member by said normal driving member.

11. A power transmitting device including relatively rotatable members, and means including abutments on said members and resilient elements cooperating with said abutments for establishing a yielding driving connection therebetween, said means being so constructed and arranged that some of said resilient elements are operative in driving either one of said members by the other and at least one resilient element is operative only during driving of a predetermined one of said members by the other.

12. A clutch disk including an inner hub portion and a relatively rotatableouter portion, and means including abutments on said inner and outer portions and a plurality of resilient elements cooperating with said abutments for establishing a driving connection therebetween, said means being so constructed and arranged that some of said resilient elements are operative in driving either one of said portions by the other and some of said resilient means are operative only during driving of a predetermined one of said portions by the other portion.

13. In a vehicle drive, an engine drive shaft, a shaft driven by said drive shaft and adapted to drive the vehicle, and means providing a drive from the driven shaft to the drive shaft when the'vehicle tends to drive the engine, said drive means including a plurality of springs spaced circumferentially about the axis of said shaft, said springs being adapted to yieldingly transmit said drive to the drive shaft with a greater degree of yieldability than that existent when said drive shaft drives said driven shaft.

CHARLES H. DRUDE. 

